Tag: summer fair (page 1 of 1)

All the Fun of the Fair!

The day of the Fair was an early one. I was up at 5 am and after showering, double-checking I had everything that I needed; I was out the door and on my way. There was already a flurry of activity when I arrived.

The sun was beaming through the trees and drying up the morning dew. The stallholders who had already arrived were moving methodically and quietly. Everyone was concentrating on setting up their stall and getting ready for the fun but long day.

It didn’t take me long to set up and before we all knew it, customers started to appear. The weather held out for us and we had a steady flow of people. Children squealed at the sight of the dollhouse they could play in and had their own tea parties inside while their mother’s had grown-up tea parties at one of the quilt covered tables. You would see everyone making 2 to 3 loops around the stalls trying to take everything in, before stopping to have tea and then going back to make purchases.

It was an exciting day and I got my first big break. Penelope, another stallholder and owner of RosaBlue (www.rosablue.com), came over to look at my stand and after seeing my products she was interested in trading with me.

Our first venture together will be selling my “tooth” bears to her and offering a personalizing service to her customers who want a child’s name placed on their particular bear. I am thrilled and hoping to be able to have some of my other products sold by her in the future.

The day was over all too quickly and after breaking down my stand and helping to clean up we all sat down and toasted the day and the sunset with a glass of wine. After hugs and kisses goodbye, to some friends I won’t see again until November, I gathered up my stock and decided to take the long way home to just have time to myself to reflect upon the day.

Click on the Pictures Below to see some of what the day held.

 

Away We Go!

The eve of the Fair is finally here. I have spent the day helping to put up tents, hang bunting and creating signs for the “Big Day”. After months of hard work tomorrow will prove if I have made the right decisions about the products I am selling.

I always said that if I had the opportunity to have my own store I would not sell anything that I wouldn’t personally buy myself. So, in saying that, I have not made anything that I would not personally have in my own home. There are quite a few things I am going to be very hard pressed to part with, but I will just hope they go to a good home.

I have so many emotions about tomorrow, I am excited and nervous, but at the same time I am sad that it will all be over too quickly. I just have to remember that it isn’t that long till November and after a short rest I will be back and busy working away on things during the summer for the Christmas Fair.

This is it! So, I’ll just hold on tight and away we go….

4 Days and Counting…

The Fair is almost here. Friday is D-Day! Today I have been busy washing and ironing the tablecloths that I will bring with me. Double checking to make sure I have the baskets and items I want to use for display to set the “mood” and just coming up with layout ideas for my table.

A small gang is gathering on Thursday and we will all pitch in to put up tents and hang bunting from every available space. Now, if the weather just holds out we will be doing fine. The forecast is sunny, but this is England and by Friday the weather report could change to snow. Only here can you have all 4 seasons in one day.

Tonight I will be finish up packaging, pricing and labeling. I am in the home stretch, and raring to go!

Please Note: Illustration by Margaret Tempest from “The Little Grey Rabbit” series.

Yo-Yos

The days seem to be ticking by faster than I want them to, as I still feel like I have so much left to do for the Fair. This year is going to be very exciting, it sounds like there will be a very good crowd of people coming and an even more diverse range of stalls.

One of the projects I have been busy working away on involves making yo-yos. I was never a fan of them before but after seeing them in a magazine, they somehow began to grow on me. Now, I seem to notice them everywhere. The possibilities of what you can make with them are endless.

My mind has been buzzing non-stop with ideas which led to the creation of one of my main Fair projects; a collaborative concept formulated by my Mom and I. I had so many notions, some of which have come into being however some will just have to wait until the Christmas Fair.

Knowing that November seems forever away until the Christmas Fair, when we will all be together again, but this time, in the coziness of an inviting house, with a crackling fire, Christmas trees adorning every free space and a coming together of friends old and new to have fun and raise money for a worthwhile charity along the way.

Like the March girls we gather, shaking the snow off our boots and heading for the kitchen, where a kettle is always boiling on top of the Aga. We gather to share ideas, celebrate each others company, love and cozy warmth.

Teeth & Fairies & Bears, Oh My!

I have been quite the busy bee at the moment working on banners and embellishing bags and items for the fair. June is almost upon us, so I do not have long before everything must be done. One of the projects I have made is a variation on a pattern I found on Martha Stewart. They are these adorable “Tooth Bears”.

The little bear is made out of felt with a pocket in the front to place your little one’s tooth in to await a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Martha embroidered the child’s name on her bears, but I have decided to simply put “tooth” across their little pockets. I have also changed the suggested stitch you were to use and I have slightly varied their faces.

They were a fun project to create; they are all different, each with their own little personality coming through. So, hopefully my little bears will speak to the right person at the fair and they will all go to lovely new homes, as they were made to support a charitable cause.

I have included the link from Martha Stewart where you will be able to find more information to make your own Tooth Bear (with the pattern template) for your little person or a friend.

Martha Stewart Show

Please note this template is copyright to Martha Stewart Living.

Summertime is Calling Me

As summer finally begins to wave her hand over this quaint part of the world, fetes begin to appear all over the countryside. They bring the young and old together to enjoy the festivities. Often outside, they take in the best that the English summer has to offer. Whatever the weather may be the fete soldiers on, oblivious to any thing that will put a damper on the day.

A local friend of mine puts on a fair twice a year to support a nearby charity. The summer fair is soon approaching at the beginning of June and I have been working away at the moment making all kinds of handmade items for my table.

There is a large selection for guests coming to the fair to choose from. Tables spill over with the sellers’ wares. Adorned in pretty tablecloths and vintage quilts, decorated with homemade bunting and tents, the fair is a chance for artists of all genres to come together and sell their goods. Some stalls feature established shop keepers with their tables overflowing with vintage treasures and baked goods; others feature those of us who use this an opportunity to sell items we have worked hard making over the past few months.

I usually have a bake sale table, but this year I am trying my hand at something different. I’m making a variety of items with a mixture of vintage and new materials. It will be a wonderful opportunity for me to see how well my items sell and I am hoping to make a more permanent business of this, selling on Etsy in the future. But, for now I will just have to be content with what opportunities the fair holds for me.